Two alleged members of an ISIS assassination squad, known as "The Beatles", have appeared in a US court by videolink after being flown to the US from Iraq to face charges of conspiring to murder four western hostages.
El Shafee Elsheikh, 32, and Alexanda Kotey, 36, are accused of being two of the four members of the brutal terrorist cell who were named after the English band because of their accents.
They were taken to the US by FBI agents on Wednesday and the charges against them were read during an initial appearance in a federal court in Alexandria.
Wearing prison uniforms, handcuffs and face masks, they appeared by videolink from an undisclosed location in Virginia where they are being held.
They face eight charges, each of which carries a life sentence but not the death penalty, under a deal struck with the UK, which supplied evidence against the men.
The two, who have been stripped of their UK citizenship, deny the charges.
"Our message to other terrorists around the world is this – if you harm Americans, you will face American arms on the battlefield or American law in our courtrooms," Attorney General Bill Barr said.
"Either way, you will be pursued to the ends of the Earth until justice is done."
The charges are a milestone in a long effort by US authorities to bring to justice members of the group known for beheadings and barbaric treatment.
Their victims included journalists, US and UK aid workers and other hostages in Syria.
ISIS terrorists seized citizens from the UK, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand and Russia.
Elsheikh and Kotey's arrival sets the stage for the most sensational terrorism trial since the 2014 criminal case against the ringleader of a deadly attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Videos of the killings, released online in ISIS propaganda, showed prisoners in orange jumpsuits on their knees beside captors dressed in black.
Kotey and Elsheikh are also accused of involvement in mock executions, shocking the hostages with Tasers and forcing captives to fight each other.
Relatives of four of the slain hostages praised the Justice Department for transferring the men to the US for trial.
“Now our families can pursue accountability for these crimes against our children in a US court,” the families said.
The two men have been held since October 2019 in American military custody in Iraq after being captured in Syria a year earlier by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
The Justice Department has long wanted to put them on trial, but was hampered by a dispute about whether Britain, which does not have the death penalty, would share evidence that could be used in a capital punishment prosecution.
Attorney General William Barr broke the diplomatic standoff this year when he promised the men would not face a death sentence.
That prompted British authorities to share evidence that US prosecutors considered crucial for obtaining convictions.
Benjamin Friedman, policy director at the Defence Priorities think tank, welcomed the work of the two governments to bring the men to justice.
"The case of the so-called Beatles is an example of effective counter-terrorism," Mr Friedman said.
"The men were captured by local allies, Kurdish-led forces who benefitted from US support, and then transferred to US custody.
"Their trial is a result of a diplomatic deal with the UK. They seem very likely to get what they deserve through the courts."
While in detention, the two men admitted they helped to collect email addresses from US aid worker Kayla Mueller, which could be used to send out ransom demands.
Ms Mueller was killed in 2015 after 18 months in ISIS captivity.
The State Department declared the two men to be specially designated global terrorists in 2017.
It accused them of holding captive and beheading about two dozen hostages, including American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and aid worker Peter Kassig.
"These charges are the product of many years of hard work in pursuit of justice for our citizens slain by ISIS," Mr Barr said.
"Although we cannot bring them back, we can and will seek justice for them, their families and for all Americans."
Elsheikh “was said to have earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions, and crucifixions while serving as an ISIS jailer," Mr Barr said.
The State Department said Kotey was a recruiter and probably "engaged in the group’s executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding”.
Two other members of the Beatles included Mohammed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John,” who was killed in a 2015 drone strike.
The fourth member, Aine Lesley Davis, was sentenced to seven years in prison in Turkey in 2017.
The US accuses them of working closely with Abu Muhammed Al Adnani, a former ISIS commander and spokesman until he was killed in a US air strike in August 2016.
Al Adnani reported directly to Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the former leader of ISIS, who was killed in Syria in October 2019.
More on Quran memorisation:
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,050,000
On sale: now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
