Latest news with #Hollywood-style
Bangkok Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
David vs Goliath: Inside the legal battle to help Trump's deportees in El Salvador
SANTA TECLA — A small group of overstretched and outmatched lawyers is fighting for the rights of men deported by the Trump administration and held in a notorious Salvadoran prison -- a David vs Goliath battle that may end up in international courts. In a half-empty old schoolhouse outside San Salvador, lawyer Rene Valiente is trying to determine the fate of 252 Venezuelan migrants expelled from the United States in March without any kind of court hearing. He is the investigations coordinator for Cristosal, a human rights non-governmental organisation (NGO) that is challenging El Salvador's all-powerful president, Nayib Bukele, and his even more powerful US ally, President Donald Trump. For months, Valiente and his team have gone from jail to ministry to courthouse, trying to find out more about those being held at the tightly controlled CECOT facility, and to have the men's legal rights recognized. With both the Trump and Bukele administrations stonewalling, the lawyers have had little success. Valiente has no visitation rights, no proof the men are alive, and not even an official list of their names. "We've asked for information, but have repeatedly been rebuffed," Valiente told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "They are in a kind of legal black hole." "We've filed 70 applications for habeas corpus. None have been resolved," he said, referring to prisoners' right to challenge their detention. On a laptop, Valiente shows a database of detainees that he and his colleagues have managed to cobble together despite the official silence. Some on the list were spotted by distraught family members in Hollywood-style images of chained and shorn deportees being bundled off planes and into jail. Others are like Jhoanna Sanguino, who saw her 24-year-old nephew's name on a list of detainees leaked to the media. "It's overwhelming to know nothing," she said. "Is he being fed? Does he get a sip of water? How is his health? 'Crime against humanity'? Trump has claimed the Venezuelans deported were "criminals" and "barbarians", mostly made up of gangsters, rapists, and murderers. But Cristosal's database tells a different story. The group has registered 152 individuals so far, and 90% of them have no criminal record. Cristosal's work appears to have earned the ire of Bukele -- who has consolidated power and packed the courts with allies since being elected in 2019. Valiente's colleague Ruth Lopez was abruptly detained in May and accused of illicit enrichment, a charge she denies. Days before her detention, she told AFP she had been working on documenting forced disappearances under Bukele's government. She is one of tens of thousands of people who have been detained under Bukele's state of emergency, often without court orders, the right to phone calls or even to see a lawyer. A further crackdown seems likely. Cristosal director Noah Bullock said that in Bukele's El Salvador "speaking out or asking something that is not aligned with the government entails the risk of being arrested." The lawyers are determined to help the Venezuelans, but expect little from a country where the president has near-absolute control. "We want to document these grave human rights violations, to leave a trace. For the moment we are exhausting all domestic legal channels" said Valiente. Ultimately, they may look to bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the International Criminal Court, whose treaty, the Rome Statute, was ratified by El Salvador in 2016. "The Salvadoran government is obligated to report on the condition of the prisoners," said Venezuelan former diplomat Walter Marquez, whose Amparo Foundation represents dozens of the detainees. "Failing to do so is a crime against humanity, according to the Rome Statute, and could lead to international prosecution."
Int'l Business Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
David Vs Goliath: Inside The Legal Battle To Help Trump's Deportees In El Salvador
A small group of overstretched and outmatched lawyers is fighting for the rights of men deported by the Trump administration and held in a notorious Salvadoran prison -- a David vs. Goliath battle that may end up in international courts. In a half-empty old schoolhouse outside San Salvador, lawyer Rene Valiente is trying to determine the fate of 252 Venezuelan migrants expelled from the United States in March without any kind of court hearing. He is the investigations coordinator for Cristosal, a human rights NGO that is challenging El Salvador's all-powerful president, Nayib Bukele, and his even more powerful US ally, President Donald Trump. For months, Valiente and his team have gone from jail to ministry to courthouse, trying to find out more about those being held at the tightly controlled CECOT facility, and to have the men's legal rights recognized. With both the Trump and Bukele administrations stonewalling, the lawyers have had little success. Valiente has no visitation rights, no proof the men are alive, and not even an official list of their names. "We've asked for information, but have repeatedly been rebuffed," Valiente told AFP. "They are in a kind of legal black hole." "We've filed 70 applications for habeas corpus. None have been resolved," he said, referring to prisoners' right to challenge their detention. On a laptop, Valiente shows a database of detainees that he and his colleagues have managed to cobble together despite the official silence. Some on the list were spotted by distraught family members in Hollywood-style images of chained and shorn deportees being bundled off planes and into jail. Others are like Jhoanna Sanguino, who saw her 24-year-old nephew's name on a list of detainees leaked to the media. "It's overwhelming to know nothing," she said. "Is he being fed? Does he get a sip of water? How is his health? Trump has claimed the Venezuelans deported were "criminals" and "barbarians", mostly made up of gangsters, rapists, and murderers. But Cristosal's database tells a different story. The group has registered 152 individuals so far, and 90 percent of them have no criminal record. Cristosal's work appears to have earned the ire of Bukele -- who has consolidated power and packed the courts with allies since being elected in 2019. Valiente's colleague Ruth Lopez was abruptly detained in May and accused of illicit enrichment, a charge she denies. Days before her detention, she told AFP she had been working on documenting forced disappearances under Bukele's government. She is one of tens of thousands of people who have been detained under Bukele's state of emergency, often without court orders, the right to phone calls or even to see a lawyer. A further crackdown seems likely. Cristosal director Noah Bullock said that in Bukele's El Salvador "speaking out or asking something that is not aligned with the government entails the risk of being arrested." The lawyers are determined to help the Venezuelans, but expect little from a country where the president has near-absolute control. "We want to document these grave human rights violations, to leave a trace. For the moment we are exhausting all domestic legal channels" said Valiente. Ultimately, they may look to bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the International Criminal Court, whose treaty, the Rome Statute, was ratified by El Salvador in 2016. "The Salvadoran government is obligated to report on the condition of the prisoners," said Venezuelan former diplomat Walter Marquez, whose Amparo Foundation represents dozens of the detainees. "Failing to do so is a crime against humanity, according to the Rome Statute, and could lead to international prosecution." Salvador Rios, a Salvadoran lawyer hired by the government in Caracas to represent 30 deportees, similarly believes that "sooner or later" Bukele will face justice. This handout picture released on March 31, 2025, by El Salvador's Presidency press office shows alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua and from the Salvadoran gang MS-13 being subdued upon their arrival at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in the city of Tecoluca, El Salvador. AFP Venezuelan Walter Marquez, president of the human rights organization Fundacion El Amparo Internacional, speaks with members of the media outside the Human Rights Defense Office (PDDH) after a meeting with relatives of Venezuelans deported by the United States to El Salvador in San Salvador on June 10, 2025. AFP Salvadoran lawyer Salvador Ríos speaks during an interview at his office in San Salvador on May 7, 2025. Rios belongs to a law firm contracted by the Venezuelan government to resolve the legal situation of 252 Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration and who are in a maximum security prison in El Salvador, lawyers have filed several appeals before the courts and delivered a letter to President Nayib Bukele to end this "illegal detention" but all his efforts have been unsuccessful. AFP El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele and his wife Gabriela Rodriguez leave the National Theatre after deliver his first-year speech in San Salvador on June 1, 2025. AFP
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Moment Labour Lord has luxury £200k watch snatched off wrist before robbers flee in speedboat in horror holiday mugging
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the moment a Labour Lord has his £200,000 luxury watch ripped from his wrist — before the thieves make a Hollywood-style escape on a speedboat. Dramatic footage shows Lord Ara Darzi being ambushed while strolling through a narrow street on the glitzy Italian island of Capri. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 A man in a white T-shirt is seen standing on the narrow Capri street Credit: 4 He then snatches the luxury watch from Lord Darzi's wrist and makes a run for it Credit: 4 The Labour peer is then caught on CCTV chasing the bandits Credit: Il Mattino The Labour peer was walking near the famed Piazzetta around 10.30pm on Sunday when two robbers struck. In the grainy video, Darzi is seen walking among a crowd outside a shop when a man in a white t-shirt lurks close by, positioning himself behing the unsuspecting lord. Suddenly, the man lunges forward and snatches the ultra-rare Richard Mille timepiece from Darzi's wrist. Another man, wearing red, bolts alongside the thief as the stunned 65-year-old gives chase in disbelief. According to local police, the two men had stalked Darzi along the upscale Via Camerelle before launching their lightning-fast attack. After the heist, the thieves sprinted through the picturesque Gardens of Augustus and down the serpentine Via Krupp trail — before hopping aboard a speedboat moored in Marina Piccola, vanishing into the night. The brazen snatch-and-dash has shocked locals and tourists alike on the island long known for its luxury — and its low crime rate. Lord Darzi told the Daily Mail on Monday: "I'm currently on holiday with my family in Capri after what has been a very busy year in the NHS. "Last night, I was robbed by two men who snatched a watch I was wearing. Mourad Aid targets Jenson Button's wife in robbery "We were all shaken up, but thankfully no one was hurt. "The watch was a gift from the father of a patient whose life I saved six years ago." He added: "Sadly, like too many Brits abroad, I've now experienced street crime firsthand. "My advice to fellow holidaymakers is simple: be careful and leave your valuables at home." The watch — a Richard Mille, reportedly worth €300,000 (approx. £253,000) — is a grail-level timepiece worn by elite figures like Elon Musk and Jay-Z. The brand only manufactures around 5,000 watches annually, sold exclusively to an ultra-connected clientele. Darzi, who is also a professor at Imperial College London and co-director of the British Institute of Public Health, had been spending a few days on his yacht in the Gulf of Naples before the robbery. Italian media described the crime as 'record-breaking,' calling the thieves 'specialists' with a knack for instantly recognising high-value targets. One report from Il Mattino warned: 'It was enough to make Capri lose its reputation as the island most free from crime.' Investigators are now combing through security footage to piece together the daring getaway. The shocking attack follows another high-profile theft last month, when a British man had his £43,000 Rolex stolen while sitting in his £250,000 Lamborghini during a supercar rally in Barcelona. The robbers made off on an e-scooter before the driver could react. 4 Lord Darzi was on vacation with his family in Capri when the horror mugging took place Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Moment Labour Lord has luxury £200k watch snatched off wrist before robbers flee in speedboat in horror holiday mugging
THIS is the moment a Labour Lord has his £200,000 luxury watch ripped from his wrist — before the thieves make a Hollywood-style escape on a speedboat. Dramatic footage shows Lord Ara Darzi being ambushed while strolling through a narrow street on the glitzy Italian island of Capri. 4 A man in a white T-shirt is seen standing on the narrow Capri street Credit: 4 He then snatches the luxury watch from Lord Darzi's wrist and makes a run for it Credit: 4 The Labour peer is then caught on CCTV chasing the bandits Credit: Il Mattino The Labour peer was walking near the famed Piazzetta around 10.30pm on Sunday when two robbers struck. In the grainy video, Darzi is seen walking among a crowd outside a shop when a man in a white t-shirt lurks close by, positioning himself behing the unsuspecting lord. Suddenly, the man lunges forward and snatches the ultra-rare Richard Mille timepiece from Darzi's wrist. Another man, wearing red, bolts alongside the thief as the stunned 65-year-old gives chase in disbelief. According to local police, the two men had stalked Darzi along the upscale Via Camerelle before launching their lightning-fast attack. After the heist, the thieves sprinted through the picturesque Gardens of Augustus and down the serpentine Via Krupp trail — before hopping aboard a speedboat moored in Marina Piccola, vanishing into the night. The brazen snatch-and-dash has shocked locals and tourists alike on the island long known for its luxury — and its low crime rate. Lord Darzi told the Most read in The Sun "Last night, I was robbed by two men who snatched a watch I was wearing. Mourad Aid targets Jenson Button's wife in robbery "We were all shaken up, but thankfully no one was hurt. "The watch was a gift from the father of a patient whose life I saved six years ago." He added: "Sadly, like too many Brits abroad, I've now experienced street crime firsthand. "My advice to fellow holidaymakers is simple: be careful and leave your valuables at home." The watch — a Richard Mille, reportedly worth €300,000 (approx. £253,000) — is a grail-level timepiece worn by elite figures like Elon Musk and Jay-Z. The brand only manufactures around 5,000 watches annually, sold exclusively to an ultra-connected clientele. Darzi, who is also a professor at Imperial College London and co-director of the British Institute of Public Health, had been spending a few days on his yacht in the Gulf of Naples before the robbery. Italian media described the crime as 'record-breaking,' calling the thieves 'specialists' with a knack for instantly recognising high-value targets. One report from Investigators are now combing through security footage to piece together the daring getaway. Read more on the Irish Sun The shocking attack follows another high-profile theft last month, when a British man had his £43,000 Rolex stolen while sitting in his £250,000 Lamborghini during a supercar rally in Barcelona. The robbers made off on an e-scooter before the driver could react. 4 Lord Darzi was on vacation with his family in Capri when the horror mugging took place Credit: Getty The five most expensive watches ever sold FROM diamond-encrusted masterpieces to historically significant timepieces, these are the five most expensive watches ever sold : 1 - Graff Diamonds Hallucination – $55 million (£40m) 2 - Graff Diamonds The Fascination – $40 million (£29.7m) 3 - Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 – $31.1 million (£23.1m) 4 - Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication – $23.98 million (£17.8m) 5 - Rolex 'Paul Newman' Daytona Ref. 6239 – $17.75 million (£13.1m)
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
What's showing at the drive-in theater? In South Florida, it's mostly memories
Where are all the old drive-in theaters? One of the biggest and best known in South Florida, the Thunderbird Swap Shop near Fort Lauderdale and around since 1963, shut down more than a year ago after a fire. Despite all but disappearing from the entertainement landscape, drive-in movies had a revival during the COVID years, with outdoor screens popping up around the Miami area, including downtown. MORE: Remember movie palaces? South Florida had plenty — and Hollywood-style premieres, too Let's open the photo album and take a look at drive-in movies in South Florida: Boulevard Thunderbird Swap Shop Others around town Drive-in revivals
