January 22, 2026
World
World
TOKYO, Jan 22 — Japan has halted the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant just hours after it began, though the reactor remains “stable,” the operator said.
STOCKHOLM, Aug 1 — A Swedish court on Thursday sentenced jihadist Osama Krayem to life imprisonment for his role in the 2015 murder of Jordanian pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh, who was burned alive by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria—a crime that sparked global outrage.
This marks the first trial worldwide over the killing.
Presiding Judge Anna Liljenberg Gullesjo stated that Krayem was present at the execution site, wearing a uniform and carrying a weapon, and knowingly allowed himself to be filmed. Though the fire was lit by another individual, the court found Krayem's involvement—guarding the victim, escorting him to the cage, and remaining during the execution—was substantial enough to classify him as a direct perpetrator.
Krayem, already serving sentences for the 2015 Paris and 2016 Brussels terror attacks, was convicted of serious war crimes and terrorist offences. The court also awarded 80,000 Swedish kronor (US$8,200) in compensation to each of the pilot’s immediate family members.
The victim’s brother, Jawdat al-Kassasbeh, who attended the trial, said the verdict brought some comfort and expressed gratitude to Sweden’s justice system. Despite Krayem’s silence during the proceedings, the court found the evidence presented—including interrogation recordings—sufficient for conviction.
The family’s lawyer, Mikael Westerlund, criticised Krayem for showing no remorse, stating that instead of being traumatised by the crime, he appeared inspired to continue his extremist activities.
Krayem, a native of Malmö, was temporarily transferred from France for the trial under a nine-month agreement and must return by December 27. Jordanian officials welcomed the verdict as a vital step toward justice. — AFP
Defendants Salah Abdeslam, Osama Krayem, and Mohamed Abrini are escorted by police upon arriving at the Justitia building in Brussels for the 2016 MIAMI, Aug 1 — Former US Air Force sergeant Edward Zakrzewski, 60, was executed by lethal injection in Florida on Thursday for the 1994 murders of his wife and two children.
Zakrzewski had pleaded guilty to killing his wife Sylvia, 7-year-old son Edward, and 5-year-old daughter Anna in June 1994. After the murders, he fled to Hawaii and assumed a new identity, but surrendered four months later after being recognised by acquaintances on the television show Unsolved Mysteries.
His execution took place at 6.12pm at Florida State Prison in Raiford, following the US Supreme Court’s rejection of his final appeal.
According to the Pensacola News Journal, Zakrzewski’s last words included: “I want to thank the good people of the Sunshine State for killing me in the most cold and calculated, clean, humane and efficient way possible. I have no complaints whatsoever.”
With Zakrzewski’s case, 27 executions have been carried out in the US so far in 2025 — the highest number since 2015. Of these, 22 were by lethal injection, two by firing squad, and three by nitrogen hypoxia, a method condemned by UN experts as cruel and inhumane.
Florida leads all US states this year with nine executions.
The death penalty is abolished in 23 states, with three others — California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania — under official moratoriums. President Donald Trump has been a vocal supporter of capital punishment, calling for its broader use on his first day in office. — AFP
