US confirms death of citizen in Syria last week
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Hosam Saraya, adding that the U.S. was providing consular assistance to the family. She declined to provide further details. ABC News earlier reported that friends and family of Saraya, a American-Syrian citizen, confirmed that he and other relatives were among those seen in a video being gunned down.
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Where to watch the ‘One Night in Idaho' documentary
On 13 November 2022, the tight-knit community in the Idaho town of Moscow were left reeling after the murder of four college students. University of Idaho undergraduates Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were stabbed to death at their home in the middle of the night. Their two other roommates, Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, were the only people in the house to survive. After a seven-week manhunt, the now-convicted mass murderer Bryan Kohberger was found at his family home. For three years, he professed his innocence before switching his plea to avoid the death penalty, just weeks before he was due to stand trial. The police revealed little about the investigation owing to a gag order in place, which was lifted by the judge ahead of the sentencing. But many questions remain unanswered, including the motivations behind his attack. In a bid to put the victims and their families front and centre, directors Liz Garbus and Matthew Galkin have made a four-part documentary titled One Night in Idaho: The College Murders. It follows the family and friends of the victims in the aftermath and explores the impact of social media sleuths during high-profile cases. Here's everything you need to know about it, including where to stream. What is 'One Night in Idaho: The College Murders' about? The four-part series recounts the night of the murders, where four students were stabbed in their off-campus house in the quiet town of Moscow. Exploring the aftermath of the killings, it features the grieving family, friends and wider community. The documentary features exclusive interviews with Stacey and Jim Chapin (parents of Ethan Chapin), and Karen and Scott Laramie (parents of Madison Mogen), none of whom have previously been interviewed about the murders. The directors of the series – Liz Garbus and Matthew Galkin – wanted to shake up the true crime format by putting the victims at the forefront, rather than the suspect. Across four episodes, One Night in Idaho also explores the impact and damage of internet sleuths who became obsessed with the case, some of whom attempted to sneak into the University's classes and dorms, and others even into the roped-off house. Where to watch 'One Night in Idaho' in the UK All four episodes of One Night in Idaho are now available on Amazon Prime Video. If you're not already a member, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial. After that, a Prime membership costs £8.99 per month or £95 per year. Alternatively, you can subscribe to Prime Video alone for £5.99 per month.
The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Massive spike in threats against Obama after Trump team claims he committed ‘treason'
Threats made online against former president Barack Obama spiked over the weekend after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accused him of a years-long coup attempt against President Donald Trump. Gabbard has claimed Obama and his top officials ran a 'treasonous conspiracy' by insinuating they manufactured an investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election to undermine Trump's first election. Hours after she made the claim, on July 18, violent rhetoric about Obama surged on platforms such as Truth Social, Telegram, and Gab, with some calling for his arrest, imprisonment, and execution. That rhetoric was intensified after the president posted an artificial intelligence-generated video of Obama being arrested and continued to re-post Gabbard's claims throughout the weekend. By July 19, threatening comments targeting Obama rose from three to 56 – a more than 1,700 percent increase, according to the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Truth Social users posted rhetoric calling for a 'firing squad,' a 'public hanging,' and 'streaming' his execution live – all while decrying Obama for the alleged treason. One user called for Obama's execution by using memes of a guillotine, electric shock chair, and public hanging platform. For years, Trump has blamed Obama and other Democrats for abusing power to facilitate investigations or indictments into himself. Since taking back the White House, Trump has promised to conduct a campaign of retribution against those he believes have targeted him. The documents Gabbard referred to as evidence of Obama's meddling show that the Obama administration wanted a review of the allegations against Russia before leaving office and pressured intelligence agencies to work quickly. spokesperson for Obama denied Gabbard's allegations, calling them 'bizarre,' 'ridiculous,' and 'a weak attempt at distraction. The Independent has asked the White House for comment. The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism said similar violent rhetoric increased on Gab, a platform known for platforming right-wing extremists. Between July 17 and July 20, comments targeted Obama as treasonous and deserving punishment rose from nine to 48, a more than 400 percent increase. A review of targeted comments made on Telegram in the same timeline revealed that threats against Obama rose from zero to 12. A White House spokesperson told Newsweek that, "President Trump and the entire administration strongly condemn all forms of violence. The Trump administration also believes in accountability and that individuals who participate in criminal activity should be held to the fullest extent of the law.
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Teen killer gives shocking prison interview after helping Republican lawmaker's daughter murder her father
A Las Vegas killer who helped his then-girlfriend murder her father insisted he is 'not a monster' in a jailhouse interview as he said he hopes to someday be paroled. Aaron Guerrero, 20, was convicted alongside his former girlfriend Sierra Halseth after they brutally stabbed, dismembered and burned her father Daniel Halseth in April 2021. Guerrero, who was 18 at the time of the slaying, said he and Sierra, then-16, decided to kill Halseth because he mistreated his daughter, which the victim's family insist is completely false. In his jailhouse interview, Guerrero said he was suffering from mental health problems at the time and wasn't taking his medication. 'I would pretend like I would take it, and I feel like that has some form or impact in what happened,' he said in an interview with 8NewsNow. Guerrero added that he was taking LSD often at the time of the murder, and blamed the psychedelic drug for exacerbating his mental health problems, leading to the murder. 'I don't think I would have been capable of something like that had I been sober, because it's a psychological drug as most people know, and when you have a mental illness it only makes it worse,' he said. Both Guerrero and Sierra were sentenced in 2022 to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 22 years, and he said that if he is ever freed, he hopes to show the Halseth family he is a better person. Sierra Halseth, then-16, left, and Aaron Guerrero, then-18, right, are pictured in their mugshots after being arrested for murdering her father Daniel Halseth in 2021 When asked how he could ever make up the brutal murder to the Halseth family, Guerrero responded: 'By proving to them that I'm not a monster. '(And by showing) that I still have potential to be a functioning member of society and can benefit society.' When Sierra and Guerrero were caught for Halseth's murder three days after his burnt body was found in his Las Vegas home, shocking footage the couple filmed while on the run captured international headlines. They were seen cuddled up in bed together, with Guerrero kissing his girlfriend on the head and saying: 'Day three after murdering somebody.' 'Don't say that on camera!' she responded. Halseth was the ex-husband of former Republican state legislator Elizabeth Halseth, Sierra's mother. The couple had a public divorce and custody battle, and prosecutors said that he had a fraught relationship with Sierra and the murder came after he tried to forbid her from seeing Guerrero. Explaining the casualness of their reaction to the murder in the infamous footage filmed days later, Guerrero now says that he is not proud of the footage. 'We were both trying to cope with what happened and we, I can't say for Sierra, but personally I feel guilt every day,' he said. The brutality in Halseth's murder stunned the nation, with detectives finding that the father was stabbed 70 times before his body was cut up by construction tools. His remains were found stuffed in a sleeping bag in the garage of his home, which had been set on fire. Asked how the murder unfolded, Guerrero did not go into specifics, but said: 'She got the weapon first and I always carry a weapon, so you know that's what led to what happened after that.' Sierra is locked up in Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center in North Las Vegas, while Guerrero is spending his sentence at High Desert State Prison, just a 40 minute drive away. But Guerrero said he has no plans on ever speaking to his former girlfriend again, and said he is filled with regret over how he got swept up in their teen relationship. 'I think I acted more out of impulse than what you could call love,' he said.
