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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
Daniel Kinahan, under armed escort, entered Dublin’s Special Criminal Court following his extradition from Dubai, touching down in Ireland on a government jet. This high-security operation has been executed with an unprecedented level of vigilance to ensure the alleged leader of a £1 billion criminal syndicate stands trial.
The 49-year-old Kinahan was transported from Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel—a location just outside Dublin—to face the three-judge court. He arrived under significant security measures after being extradited from the United Arab Emirates.
This occasion marks Kinahan’s return to Irish soil for the first time in over ten years, drawing considerable public and media attention.
He traveled back on board a €53 million Irish government aircraft following the conclusion of his legal battle against extradition. This development closes a chapter where Dubai served as a secure retreat, shielding him from Irish legal pursuit for several years.
Extensive security arrangements, involving armed Gardaí, were in place due to concerns over potential threats from rival gang members and adversaries awaiting Kinahan’s return to Ireland.
The 49-year-old is now facing a single charge of directing the activities of an organised crime gang alleged to be responsible for multiple murders.
The court, which sits without a jury, has yet to set a date for his trial and significant legal arguments are expected before proceedings can begin.
Irish authorities allege that the organisation has operated on a vast international scale, with links stretching across Europe, the Middle East and South America, as well as being accused of involvement in drug trafficking, money laundering and a series of murders.
Kinahan was arrested in Dubai in April after an Irish extradition request. His detention came as investigators examined alleged links between the cartel and oil shipments involving Iranian crude being transported to China.
Garda vehicles arriving at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, where Daniel Kinahan is expected to appear charged with directing an organised crime group
Kinahan, 49, arrived at Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel, on the outskirts of Dublin, on Sunday evening after more than a decade away from Ireland
The Irish government jet carrying alleged crime boss Daniel Kinahan has landed in Dublin
His arrival in Ireland has been accompanied by an unprecedented security operation involving armed Garda units, military personnel and heavily protected vehicles.
Security sources have warned that he could face multiple threats once back in Ireland, including from rival criminals, dissident republicans, hostile state actors and powerful gangland figures seeking revenge for the deaths of their associates.
In a message he sent earlier this month Kinahan warned: ‘If I happen to fall and bang my head when I have handcuffs on me, I didn’t fall. If I end up hanging myself, killing myself, poisoning myself, it didn’t happen. I’m not suicidal.’
The Kinahan organisation became internationally notorious during the feud with the rival Hutch gang, which escalated after the 2016 Regency Hotel shooting in Dublin.
David Byrne, then 34, was shot dead during the attack, which was carried out by gunmen disguised as members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit.
Kinahan was himself narrowly missed in the attack.
The conflict subsequently claimed a succession of lives in Ireland and abroad and turned the Kinahan organisation into one of Europe’s most feared criminal networks.
After his appearance at court, Kinahan is expected to be transferred to Portlaoise Prison in the Irish Midlands, where he will be held in the maximum-security A Block.
The wing has been described as a ‘prison within a prison’ and is used for some of the State’s highest-risk prisoners.
Irish prison authorities have been preparing for his possible arrival for months, with Kinahan expected to be housed in the A5 unit of the high-security wing.
The prison has already been home to another senior Kinahan cartel figure, Sean McGovern, who was extradited from Dubai last year and later sentenced to 24 years after pleading guilty to directing a criminal organisation.
McGovern’s conviction related to the murder of Noel ‘Duck Egg’ Kirwan in Dublin in 2016 and a plot to murder James ‘Mago’ Gately.
Kinahan’s incarceration is expected to involve exceptionally tight restrictions on his movements and communications.
US authorities offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Kinahan’s capture and may seek to interview him after his Irish trial
He is likely to be segregated from other prisoners and closely monitored because of the risk that his position in the alleged cartel could allow him to exert influence from inside prison.
But his knowledge of international criminal and financial networks is also understood to be of considerable interest to American authorities.
US authorities offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Kinahan’s capture and may seek to interview him after his Irish trial.
Intelligence sources say Kinahan possesses detailed information about the export of Iranian and Russian crude using so-called shadow fleet vessels to China and India, as well as secret financial networks allegedly used by Iran to fund Hezbollah and Hamas.
American authorities are pursuing investigations into the cartel over its alleged role in facilitating terrorism through services provided to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which finances Hezbollah.
The United States sanctioned Kinahan and other senior members of the organisation in 2022, accusing the group of involvement in international drug trafficking and money laundering.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said: ‘This arrest shows our determination, along with our international policing partners including Dubai Police, to target transnational organised crime groups.
‘It also shows the value of our relationship with the authorities in the United Arab Emirates, the Ministry of Justice at judicial level, and on a police-to-police basis.
‘This relationship has been supported by the Irish Government’s Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.’
The anticipated trial for a Wisconsin teenager accused of murdering his young cousin might not take place in November following the scheduling of a resolution hearing.
Over four years since Lily Peters’ tragic death, her cousin, 18-year-old Carson Peters-Berger, was set to face trial next month on severe charges, including first-degree intentional homicide and sexual assault, related to Lily’s death.
The District Attorney’s Office in Chippewa County revealed that a resolution hearing is slated for August 26, according to reports from WEAU.
Lily Peters, a 10-year-old girl, was tragically killed in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in April 2022.(Chippewa Falls Police Department)
According to Chippewa County’s District Attorney Wade Newell, this resolution indicates that the case will not be proceeding to trial, concluding with the upcoming hearing instead.
However, Peters-Berger’s defense attorney, Michael Cohen, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the proceeding will “address issues in the case that will determine whether there will be a trial.”
Court records do not yet indicate the nature of the resolution expected to be presented during the hearing later this month.
Lily was reported missing by her father on the evening of April 24, 2022, after she failed to return home from her aunt’s house.
Stuffed animals are left at the altar during a prayer vigil for 10-year-old Iliana “Lily” Peters at Valley Vineyard Church in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on April 25, 2022.(Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP)
Her father later found Lily’s bicycle in a wooded area in Chippewa Falls, but an initial search by police did not locate her.
Authorities were notified the following morning that Lily’s body had been found near the area where her bicycle was discovered. Investigators said her injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma, according to the criminal complaint.
During an interview with police, Peters-Berger, who was 14 at the time, allegedly said he asked Lily to “go exploring off the trail.”
According to the complaint, Peters-Berger allegedly “punched [Lily] in the stomach, knocking her to the ground” and struck her with a stick while they were in the woods.
Lily Peters, 10, was found dead near a wooded area in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in April 2022 after being reported missing by her father.(Chippewa Falls Police Department)
Peters-Berger also allegedly told investigators that he strangled Lily and attempted to sexually assault her after her death, according to the complaint.
Afterward, Peters-Berger allegedly returned home, where “he showered and put his dirty clothes in the laundry,” according to the complaint.
After learning Lily had been reported missing, Peters-Berger allegedly determined that “he needed to hide her better” and returned to her body, dragged her several feet and covered her with leaves, according to the complaint.
Peters-Berger was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child under age 13 resulting in great bodily harm. He faces life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge.
News Media has reached out to the Chippewa County District Attorney’s Office and Peters-Berger’s defense attorney for additional comment.
Teddy Bridgewater is once again making an exit from the Detroit Lions, and this departure might mark the end of his NFL career.
The seasoned quarterback, now 33, rejoined the Lions roster in March as a free agent after his stint with the Buccaneers last season. However, as announced by head coach Dan Campbell on Sunday, Bridgewater is stepping away from the team, and according to reports from NFL Network, retirement is a strong possibility.
“I’ve known Teddy for a long time, and he’s an incredible human being,” Campbell expressed to the press. “Not only has he been an outstanding player, but his character, teamwork, and dedication are admirable. He has always approached the game intellectually and played with immense heart. He will certainly be missed.”
Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looks on following training camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, Michigan, on Sunday, August 2, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With Bridgewater’s departure, undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer steps into the role as backup to Jared Goff. Despite this, Campbell indicated that the Lions might bring in a veteran quarterback as early as Monday.
Bridgewater initially joined the Lions in 2023 and opted for retirement at the season’s end, moving on to become a high school coach in Miami.
He would re-sign with the Lions in 2024 the day after Christmas and made a brief appearance during a playoff game.
A first-round pick by the Vikings in 2014, Bridgewater was a Pro Bowler in his second season but suffered a brutal leg injury during camp in 2016 and became a journeyman, which included a brief preseason run with the Jets in 2018 before he was traded to the Saints.
Detroit Lions quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater (5) and Jared Goff (16) talk during practice at the NFL football team’s training camp in Allen Park, Mich., Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. AP Photo/Paul Sancya
New Orleans is where Bridgewater met Campbell, who at the time was the team’s tight ends coach.
Bridgewater famously led the Saints to five straight wins during the 2019 season while Drew Brees was out with a thumb injury.
Bridgewater was the starter for the Panthers in 2020 and the Broncos in 2021.
He became the Dolphins’ backup in 2022 before joining the Lions in 2023.
He completed 8 of 15 passes for 62 yards across four appearances for the Buccaneers last season.
If Bridgewater’s career is done, he finishes with 15,182 yards passing, 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions.
Tragedy struck near Liberty Island in New York Harbor when a boat capsized on Saturday night, resulting in the deaths of two people, including an infant. Authorities have since charged the vessel’s captain with reckless endangerment.
The New York Police Department reported to the media that officers were dispatched following a 10:25 p.m. call regarding a capsized boat. Remarkably, twelve individuals were already rescued from the water by the time police reached the scene.
NYPD divers later discovered a 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old girl in the water. Both were rushed to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn in critical condition. Tragically, both succumbed to their injuries. Officials have not yet released their identities.
The boat’s captain, identified as 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez from New York City, was arrested and is now facing 13 counts of reckless endangerment, according to statements from the Coast Guard.
Saturday night’s maritime disaster in New York Harbor claimed the lives of a woman and a young child when their boat capsized. (FNTV)
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life last night, and our thoughts are with the victims’ family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” said Captain Doreen McCarthy, Coast Guard Sector New York commander. “We are extremely grateful for the heroic, swift actions of our partner agencies and Good Samaritan vessel who assisted in rescuing survivors from the water. We are working closely with CGIS and the NYPD to investigate this incident. We are committed to holding illegal operators accountable to highest extent of the law to ensure the safety of everyone on our waterways.”
The Statue of Liberty stands in the foreground as Lower Manhattan is viewed at dusk, September 8, 2016, in New York City.(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Police said some of the other passengers were also transported to the hospital and are believed to be in stable condition.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the capsizing and whether the vessel was an illegal charter.
A police source told News Media that the vessel was a 22-foot bowrider.
A man is treated after a boat capsized in New York Harbor, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026.(FNTV)
The NYPD’s Harbor Unit, Scuba Team and Aviation Unit responded to the scene along with the U.S. Coast Guard.
Two men from Florida find themselves facing aggravated battery charges following an alleged confrontation involving weapons at a Publix parking lot. The confrontation saw one wielding a machete and the other armed with a hatchet.
The altercation, which took place on August 4 between 52-year-old Everette Krichbaum and 35-year-old James Gay, was reportedly fueled by a dispute over a romantic interest, according to official police documents.
Investigators noted that Gay was identified as the “primary aggressor” in the clash that occurred in Panama City.
The encounter unfolded with Krichbaum seated in his vehicle within the Publix parking lot when Gay allegedly initiated a verbal confrontation, as detailed in the arrest affidavit.
According to officials, Gay then allegedly returned to his own vehicle, retrieving a machete still in its sheath, and proceeded to strike Krichbaum in the face with it.
A feud between the two men had been brewing over a woman that Krichbaum is dating and Gay used to date, Stephanie Marshall told Fox News Digital. Marshall, who identified herself to Fox News Digital as Gay’s girlfriend, is listed as a witness on a report by the Panama City Police Department.
As the two men squared up, Krichbaum started swinging a hatchet, Gay told police.
When officers arrived, they found Gay with a deep cut on his pinky finger, exposing the bone, and a puncture in his lower abdomen, according to arrest records.
Krichbaum had multiple lacerations to his hands and face, the police report shows. He told investigators he became unconscious when Gay hit him in the head with a machete.
Both Gay and Krichbaum were taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment. The police report shows that Gay told police he was “attacked … over his ex-girlfriend.”
That same day, Gay was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
It wasn’t Gay’s first altercation that turned violent, records show. In 2011, he was convicted of aggravated battery in the killing of a 16-year-old boy near Panama City. In that incident, Gay used a chain wrapped around his hand to fracture the skull of the teen, court records show. Other co-defendants also were charged in the boy’s death.
In 2012, Gay was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was released early in June 2024, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
On Aug. 5, after Krichbaum was released from the hospital, he was arrested by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and US Marshals Service. He’s been charged with aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability.
As of Aug. 7, both Gay and Krichbaum were being held in the Bay County Jail. Fox News Digital could not reach either man for comment.
It was not immediately clear if Krichbaum has an attorney. Gay is listed as representing himself.
The atmosphere at this year’s Garma Festival was charged with anticipation, where glimpses of the future were unmistakable. You could feel it in the interactions among budding leaders and see it in the enthusiasm of children eager to grab the microphone during interviews. A sense of curiosity filled the air, as they pondered the question of what lies ahead.
Over four vibrant days at Gulkula, a historic ceremonial location nestled in the stringybark forests of Gumatj Country in north-east Arnhem Land, the area was alive with the rhythm of dance, music, and engaging dialogue. Here, young voices from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities came together to discuss their journeys in higher education, entrepreneurship, diplomacy, cultural preservation, and leadership.
These young leaders spoke with confidence about their ambitions. Yet, when asked what success truly represents for them, their perspectives reached beyond conventional markers like job titles and paychecks.
Instead, their definitions of achievement encompassed deeper values: family, cultural heritage, language, respect for Elders, and a connection to their ancestral lands.
As a group of attentive children observed the discussions, Ann-Marie Long, a proud Badjala, Woppaburra, and Torres Strait Islander woman, co-founder of Sandpoppy Weaving, and part of the First Nations-led initiative EPIC Pathways, offered her thoughts on what this concept of success means to her.
“Success for us is about self-determination, being our authentic selves and in a way that we can celebrate, honour and bring many of our community to the table,” she tells SBS News.
When I win, my family wins.
But these personal reflections also raise a broader question: how do we measure progress when success is shaped by more than education, employment, and economic opportunity?
National conversations about improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have often focused on measures such as education, employment and economic participation, with a particular emphasis on youth.
Under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, one target aims to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 15 to 24 who are engaged in employment, education or training to 67 per cent by 2031. In 2021, the figure was 58 per cent.
The agreement also recognises the importance of culture, language, connection to Country and social and emotional wellbeing.
For the young people SBS News spoke with at Garma, these are not separate measures of success; they are part of the same story.
Success rooted in Country
Away from the stages and crowds at Garma, young people connect through movement, storytelling and learning — ancient practices that inform identity and culture.
For Joshua Yow Yeh, dance in particular has become a pathway back to his heritage.
The 20-year-old Yugambeh, Bundjalung, Minjungbal, Bayali, Kabi Kabi and Gooreng Gooreng man is a student at the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) dance college. He says it’s a space where he can develop his craft while reconnecting with culture and learning from Elders, both of which are key to his notion of success.
It’s one he’s still learning to define for himself.
“I think I’m coming into success. I’m finding success being here at Garma and being at NAISDA. I think that’s what I’ve defined success as, learning culture, getting knowledge from your Elders, and, you know, finding your family and all that kind of stuff,” he tells SBS News.
Nearby dancers sit on the muddy grounds in groups of two or three, adorned in white ochre, some having just performed, while others prepare for what’s ahead.
Watching the movement around him, Yow Yeh speaks about the role creativity could play in shaping his future, not only in terms of his career, but as a way to give back to the community.
“I definitely want to be at home back in my Country in Queensland, surrounded by all my community or my mob learning and then also passing on knowledge, passing on culture, tradition, sharing it with everyone,” he says.
Pursuing opportunities away from home is part of the journey, but Yow Yeh’s connection to Country remains central to his view of success.
It’s a perspective that resonates with 24-year-old Meriki Moran, a Biripi, Dunghutti and Gumbaynggirr man and diploma student at NAISDA.
As Garma wound down, people began packing up around him — loading cars and gathering belongings to leave Gulkula.
The movement around the festival grounds reflected a reality familiar to many young First Nations people: pursuing opportunities can mean leaving home, even temporarily, while finding ways to remain connected to where they come from.
Moran describes that transition as difficult.
“Moving away from your family, moving away from the people that you grew up with that you’ve known most of your life, to a whole new area with a whole new type of people that are around you. You don’t know what’s going to happen,” he tells SBS News.
But despite the challenges, Moran says he is driven by a deeper calling: to bring the knowledge and wisdom gained through his experiences back to his community
We are strong when we are together. We are strong when we know everything that we need to know about our culture, our language.
“Success to me looks like moving back home, back to Country, taking in whatever I’ve learnt from Elders from on Country, any knowledge sharing that’s being handed down to me and hopefully taking it back home so I can help teach the next generation,” Moran says.
For Asha Bhat, CEO of Southern Aboriginal Corporation, that nexus between personal and collective achievement is something she has witnessed through 18 years of working with Aboriginal communities across regional Western Australia.
She says many young people she works with do not define success only through qualifications, employment or income.
“It is about knowing who they are, staying connected to their culture and Country, supporting their families, and creating a better future for the next generation,” Bhat tells SBS News.
Success does not happen in isolation; instead, cultural connection provides a foundation from which young people can pursue education, employment, and leadership opportunities.
Culture is not separate from success. It is often the reason success becomes possible.
Defining ‘wealth’ beyond norms
For Tianie Scott-Knight, a Yankunytjatjara, Pitjantjatjara, Anmatyerre, Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri woman, success has meant building a career while staying connected to the cultural foundations that shaped her.
She works as the First Nations public diplomacy lead at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is currently on leave while studying at NAISDA. The 12-month program has given her an opportunity to reconnect with dance while following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Dorethea Randall, who was among NAISDA’s first students in 1976.
She says success begins with knowing who you are and where you come from.
I think success to me is being connected to your culture, knowing who you are and who your family is and being proud in that, and just owning your truth.
Like Yow Yeh, Scott-Knight has kept her connection to Country and her communities close, while pursuing opportunities away from home. She says her future aspirations include both professional leadership and creating opportunities for younger generations.
“I think I would be, hopefully, one day a First Nations ambassador. [I] have long-term goals to be in that position, but also I would love to see myself in a community role … uplifting my community and young ones and inspiring them,” she tells SBS News.
Her experience reflects the pathways many young First Nations people are navigating — moving through universities, workplaces and institutions while maintaining connections to family, culture and Country.
Professor Chelsea Watego, a Munanjahli and South Sea Islander woman and executive director of Queensland University of Technology’s (QUT) Carumba Institute, has spent more than two decades working across Indigenous research and community-focused initiatives.
It should not automatically be assumed that access equates with forgetting who we are and where we come from, or set ourselves apart from our people.
Culture is central to how many First Nations people approach their creative, academic and workplace pursuits.
Eastern Arrernte woman Tanika Anne Orr, owner of Nooks and Cooks bush food catering service, says culture has fundamentally shaped how she approaches her business.
After moving away from Country as a teenager, the now-35-year-old says forging Nooks and Cooks on Kabi Kabi Country on the Sunshine Coast became a way to reconnect with culture while building opportunities with community.
“For me, it’s not about being successful with money. I think for me, it’s more about being successful in having that wealth around you in the way of love and connection,” Orr tells SBS News.
Through her business, she hopes to share cultural knowledge and create opportunities for others.
“I really hope that my bush foods business is taking off and is employing a lot of our community.”
Carrying Country wherever they go
For many young First Nations people, pursuing education, careers and leadership opportunities can involve moving between communities, cities and regions.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, around 15 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in remote or very remote areas, where distance can shape access to services, education and employment opportunities.
On Gumatj Country, surrounded by the sounds and movement of Garma, young people spoke about these choices as part of their journeys — not as leaving one world behind, but as carrying who they are into new spaces.
Long, who runs Sandpoppy Weaving, moved away from home at 17 to study at QUT. While she remained relatively close to Country during her studies, she says she still felt the distance.
“Moving away as a young person definitely had its challenges, but bear in mind, I was only two hours away. I can only imagine the incredible sacrifices that many of our young people from remote and regional communities have to make,” she says.
At the same time, the experience also allowed her to explore new ways First Nations stories could be shared and magnified.
It was also really amazing to see the opportunities within the metropolitan areas and the ways that our stories could be told and amplified.
Long says her decisions about education, work and future opportunities are also shaped by family and ancestors. She reflects on the significance of accessing pathways that were not available to previous generations.
“My Nana was a member of the Stolen Generation. So the fact that I can be first in family to go through to Year 10 — let alone to university and pursuing my own business — that incredible privilege is not lost on me.”
A similar balancing act has shaped the journey of Willhelm Lauenstein, a Wuthathi man and Indigenous liaison officer for Royal Australian Air Force bases in Darwin and Curtin, critical northern defence facilities for the country.
While carefully painting a yidaki, a traditional Yolŋu instrument also widely known as the didgeridoo, the 32-year-old reflects on the places he has called home.
After beginning his career as an electrician and later joining the Air Force, Lauenstein has lived away from his home in Cairns, including time in Katherine and Darwin.
While distance from family has been challenging, he says, connection can also be built in new places.
“I’ve got no family here. But now I do. Now that I’ve been here and [in] community and been out and amongst it all, it’s like home, second home,” Lauenstein tells SBS News.
For him, success also carries a sense of responsibility, especially in his role working with First Nations personnel in defence.
You need to make the right decisions. You can’t really make too many wrong ones because it’s not only the Elders watching you, but it’s also the younger generation, they’re also watching you.
Defining success on their own terms
The final pillar of success that emerged from conversations at Garma is wellbeing.
Sue-Anne Hunter, national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, says culture, language and connection to Country are central to the wellbeing and development of First Nations children and young people.
“Culture is the protective factor that keeps our children connected to their communities, to their families and to themselves,” she tells SBS News.
According to Hunter, young people today are accessing opportunities that were not available to many previous generations, while also using their voices to shape the future.
“What has changed is that this generation has more platforms, more opportunity and a voice they are willing to use, built on decades of advocacy by those who have come before them.”
No young person should have to choose between who they are and where they are going.
Across conversations with young leaders at Gulkula, one message was clear: the future was not about choosing between where they wanted to go and where they came from — it was about carrying both forward.
An 18-year-old from the Midwest accused of a harrowing crime, dating back to when he was just 14, might escape the ordeal of a courtroom trial.
Allegations against Carson Peters-Berger include a brutal assault on his young cousin, 10-year-old Lily Peters. The accusations paint a grim picture of violence—he reportedly punched her, knocked her down, struck her with a stick, and strangled her until she died before committing rape on a Chippewa Falls hiking trail in April 2022.
The charges are severe: first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault, and first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13.
Prosecutors contend that Peters-Berger harbored premeditated intentions to ‘rape and kill the victim’ as soon as they left home for the trail. Initially, his case was set for an adult court trial, raising the stakes to a possible life imprisonment sentence.
However, recent developments have shifted the narrative. The office of the Chippewa County District Attorney announced a resolution hearing for Peters-Berger, slated for the morning of August 26. This hearing could potentially circumvent the need for a trial.
A resolution hearing allows opposing parties in a case to negotiate an agreement and potentially settle a case before trial.
Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell told WEAU that the late August hearing means Peters-Berger’s trial, which had previously been scheduled to begin in November, will not move forward.
However, the teenager’s defense attorney, Michael Cohen, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the hearing will ‘address issues in the case that will determine whether there will be a trial.’
Lily Peters, 10, was strangled to death and raped in Wisconsin in 2022. Her then-14-year-old cousin, Carson Peters-Berger, was charged with the horrific crime
Peters-Berger, recently pictured in detention, is now 18 years old. He may avoid going to trial after it was announced that he has a resolution hearing scheduled for August 26
Peters Berger is pictured when he was 14. He is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13
It is unclear whether Peters-Berger will enter a plea during the resolution hearing or what matters will be discussed, as Chippewa County Judge Steven Gibbs sealed online court records.
The teenager has been in custody on a $1 million cash bond since he was arrested in 2022.
In 2024, Peters-Berger’s attorneys attempted to have him tried in juvenile court, arguing that a life sentence would only be ‘punishment for the sake of punishment, which is not what the law permits for juveniles.’
The attorneys further argued that the teen would receive more mental health treatment for various diagnosed disorders if he were to be incarcerated in a juvenile facility.
In such a scenario, Peters-Berger would have been imprisoned for just 10 years and would have walked free at the age of 25.
Judge Steven Gibbs shot down the first attempt, stating: ‘The court disagrees that a possible 10-year confinement in the juvenile system, registering as a sex offender and that the defendant would be vulnerable to the adult system would be punishment enough for the defendant.’
The teenager’s attorneys appealed the judge’s ruling, but that attempt was denied in appellate court as well.
Peters-Berger allegedly admitted to police that he strangled his 10-year-old cousin to death before raping her, leaving her abused corpse on the trail and returning home.
Lily was reported missing by her father after she failed to return home from her aunt’s house. Her partially naked corpse was found by a volunteer search party the next morning
Peters-Berger allegedly returned to Lily’s body after discovering she had been reported missing, dragged her a few feet from the hiking trail and covered her with leaves
The young girl was reported missing by her father around 9pm after she failed to return home from her aunt’s residence.
After hearing Lily was reported missing, Peters-Berger allegedly returned to her body, dragged her a few feet off the trail and covered her with leaves.
A volunteer search party discovered the girl’s body partially naked the next morning.
Peters-Berger is the son of convicted pedophile Adam Berger, who spent three years in jail after being caught with a stash of pornographic images of prepubescent girls on his phone.
According to charging documents, 10 pornographic photos showing very young girls in sexual positions were found on his phone. All of the revolting pictures focused on the children’s genitalia, according to court papers.
He also had drug paraphernalia including four crack pipes in his home.
When his son was charged, Berger was living in a halfway house in Eau Claire after being released from Oshkosh Correctional Institution in April 2021. He remained on supervised probation and is on the sex offender registry.
He and his lawyers opposed extended probation at the time because he would not have had unsupervised visits with his son, who he described in a letter as being ‘the best of me.’
Peters-Berger is the son of convicted pedophile Adam Berger, who spent three years in jail after being caught with a stash of child porn. The father and son are pictured together
Bergers, pictured in his mugshot, was also caught with drug paraphernalia including four crack pipes. He called his son ‘the best part of me’ before the teen was accused of murder and rape
In 2017, before Berger was convicted of child porn offenses but after he had been arrested and charged, he had run his car into Peters-Berger’s mother, Lauri Davis.
Although not allowed solo contact with his son, who was then aged eight, the charging papers say they were in the vehicle together.
Davis said Berger drove the car at her, leaving her injured when she rolled off the hood and ended up on the ground.
When Berger was sent to jail, all physical contact with his son ceased, but in a jailhouse letter, Berger said he emailed the boy daily, spoke to him regularly while he was with his grandmother and mailed him a crochet blanket he had made in prison.
He said he dreamed of a future with his son, adding that he wanted unsupervised contact with his son because ‘he is not a victim of my offense.’ He added: ‘My son is the best part of me.’
If Peters-Berger’s resolution hearing does not prevent his case from going to trial, the proceedings will occur in a different county than where the crime occurred.
The teenager’s attorneys successfully argued in April 2025 that the highly publicized nature of his case may make it difficult to find impartial jurors in Chippewa County.
In the heart of Castlemilk, a cherished tradition thrived for years, resonating through the lives of notable figures like Eddie Gray, James McCarthy, James McArthur, and Arthur Graham. These individuals, celebrated in a vibrant mural at the Barlia community center, embody the spirit of the neighborhood’s local heroes.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the air would fill with the calls of parents from windows, sometimes prompting impromptu search parties, all signaling to children that their playtime had ended. It marked the moment to leave the makeshift pitches and head home.
Thanks to the efforts of the Castlemilk Community Trust, this time-honored ritual carries on, albeit with a modern twist, preserving a piece of the community’s cherished past.
Harkins embodies this rich history and vibrant culture. At 57, he remains a true son of Castlemilk, born and raised on Cavin Drive, just across from the famed Gray family. While his neighbors, Frank and Eddie, donned the Scotland jerseys, Harkins pursued football at the amateur level, yet his contributions to the community have left a lasting legacy.
Often found at the entrance, overseeing the collections at the gate, Harkins eschews any notion of grandeur. However, those around him acknowledge his incredible influence, crediting him with a pivotal role in transforming this corner of Castlemilk. Visitors and volunteers alike speak with respect, marveling at the positive changes he has helped bring about.
The £1.5m Barlia football centre is a hub for the community and home to Castlemilk juniors
Most are men of a certain age. Their playing days are far behind them. But they can recall the red blaes that scoured their legs, the games in the back court and the call home after hours of effort.
‘Wait till you see it,’ one informs me with pride as I walk towards the gate. It is an impressive sight. The club sits high on a hill and the pitches lie at one’s feet. They are accessed by a stroll down a path and onto the immaculate surface.
It was not always thus. This facility lay abandoned. The area was covered in graffiti and the old pitch was scarred by the wounds inflicted by fires started by vandals.
‘You can see that is no longer the case,’ says Harkins. ‘The pitch is pristine, there is no graffiti and there is a sense of ownership among the people who come here.’
The view from the top is wonderful but it is surpassed by the scale of the achievements of the trust in just four years. ‘Tons of rubbish had to be moved from here,’ says Harkins. The laying of a new pitch and the refurbishment of the centre cost about £1.5million. It came largely from the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the SFA.
But it only was attracted by the hard work of the trust. Since 2022, it has revamped a facility that was closed for two years, provided a home pitch to 24 local teams, delivered free football camps, and provided the community with a hub.
‘We have more than 1,000 people passing through here every week, using the facilities,’ says Harkins. ‘The new club that plays today is the latest move. We have an amateur side and an under-20s but the next step was to have a side in the West of Scotland Football League.’
For many years, the oft-asked question was why Castlemilk did not have a ‘Junior side’. They have one now and it played well here, winning 6-1 in a fourth division match against fellow newcomers St Pat’s.
‘A record attendance today,’ Harkins says with a smile as he notes 201 paid at the gate.
This pensioner found it a smashing deal. It is possible to get change out of a tenner at my age after paying in, buying a half-time draw ticket and a coffee and pie.
The tour came for free. Jim Fay, who manages the facility, showed the dressing-rooms with lighting that can be adjusted to match the colour of strips, the boardroom resplendent with trophies from the amateur era, and the café area that looks on the pitches. ‘It is some place,’ he says.
John Harkins has been a driving force in his role as charity manager of the community trust
There is a hint of stardust in this immaculate setting. Denis McDaid, the manager of the team, is determined to focus on his club’s progress and ambitions. But he has a cv that sparkles with the names of Scottish football royalty. He played with Stevie Clarke, future national coach, at St Mirren Boys’ Club, signed for Jim McLean’s Dundee United as a lad and went on to be a coach at Clyde and Hamilton. In the latter post, he watched James McCarthy and James McArthur grow quickly from boys to exceptional players.
‘It’s all about the boys and what we are doing here,’ he insists, waving off inquiries about the old days and concentrating on what has been achieved in Castlemilk. He arrived at the club after Covid and when the work to restructure the centre was gathering pace.
‘The team has made good strides,’ he says. ‘We became a force in amateur football and won five trophies. The step up to the West of Scotland shows ambition and we are all determined to go as high as we can.’
The players are not paid but at least do not have to pay the monthly £40 fee that was mandatory when it was an amateur set-up.
McDaid, a sales manager, gives his time willingly. ‘I am originally from the Gorbals and football has always been with me. I love it at every level. We work hard here and we enjoy it. Let’s see where it takes us.’
Danny Cusick, chair of the trust, knows precisely where it has come from and how the journey was navigated.
‘I am from Castlemilk though I have been away for a long time and have even lived abroad,’ he says. ‘I remember all this as a wee boy. The red ash, no pavilion…’
When approached to help out, he came in with a simple mantra: ‘If you want to do it, do it properly.’
A charity was registered, trustees enlisted and the moves for funding accelerated.
‘I had a background in economic development and once worked for Scottish Enterprise, so that helped,’ he says.
A business plan was drawn up and a 25-year lease obtained. ‘We have raised £1.4m to transform this place.’ He cites both Scottish and UK Governments, Glasgow Council and the SFA as major benefactors.
Castlemilk juniors beat St Patrick’s 6-1 in a West of Scotland League Fourth Division match
‘We have taken this from nothing – worse than nothing given the state of the site – to this impressive facility. It was going to be abandoned. The community would have lost it. The football side is, of course, important but this is a community facility. It’s about much more than happens on the pitch.’
He points out that every day through the summer holidays more than 40 children have come to the centre to play and be fed.
‘For some of these kids it’s the only decent food they will get in a day. That’s my passion – preserving the facility. It’s about football for good and how it enhances the community.’
It is working. ‘Look at this place,’ he says. ‘Not one bit of graffiti, not one bit of vandalism. It is a bit of structure for the kids. The message to them is that you need to look after it, it is yours.’
Outside the cheers ring out and the studs clack as the teams take to the field. It is match day but the importance of the centre stretches into the long nights when boys and girls can play. And dream.
Why not? It was what the Grays and others did in Castlemilk nights of old.
Jeremy Clarkson has delivered an alarming update regarding this year’s harvest situation at Diddly Squat Farm. The renowned former host of Top Gear, now 66 years old, shared his concerns on Instagram over the weekend. Accompanying his post was an image from a BBC weather forecast, revealing a sweltering 29 degrees Celsius in Chipping Norton, the location of his beloved farm.
While Monday’s temperatures are expected to settle around 24 degrees, the coming days promise more extreme heat. Wednesday could see the mercury rise to 31 degrees, with Thursday pushing an intense 34 degrees, as the UK braces for yet another heatwave. Across the country, drought conditions persist, with places like Wisley in Surrey not seeing rain for a staggering 52 consecutive days and Coningsby in Lincolnshire close behind with 43 dry days.
Clarkson expressed his frustration on Instagram, succinctly stating, “Harvest already f***ed. May as well just enjoy it now.”
His followers swiftly offered words of encouragement. One person humorously noted, “If it carries on you’ll need to apply to be a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire just to get your money back!”
Another chimed in with empathy, “A lot of farming around my way, and the struggle is real.”
A third echoed: “I haven’t stopped thinking about all the farmers this summer. The countless heatwaves have ruined food production and we’re going to be feeling the pinch sooner rather than later.”
Jeremy was quick to respond to one critic, who pointed out: “Sir Jezza… you’re a multimillionaire. Stay calm and carry on!”
Jeremy replied: “Most farmers aren’t. Spare a thought for them eh?”
And when another pointed out that Jezza still has Hawkstone beer to enjoy, he said: “Yes, but it’s made from British barley and this year… Jesus.”
Amazon’s epic series “The Rings of Power” has enchanted audiences with its ambitious storytelling, weaving an intricate tapestry that spans both the familiar realms of Middle-earth and the uncharted territories beyond. While the epic has admirably tackled J.R.R. Tolkien’s rich and complex lore, some plot threads felt like a challenge for casual viewers trying to keep pace. A storyline that particularly demanded more attention than perhaps warranted was the journey of the Harfoots, but that narrative focus is shifting.
“It was time for them to take a little bit more of a backseat,” showrunner JD Payne told Empire Magazine (via fan site Fellowship of Fans). He did add, “I will also say: never count a Halfling out,” but that initial statement, and the absence of all Halfling cast members in the promotional circuit so far, seem to confirm that the half-pint heroes really will be sitting on the sidelines — at least for Season 3.
These forerunners of the Hobbits have played an integral role in the tale to date, especially with the magical figure known as the Stranger (played by Daniel Weyman) crash-landing into their lives—literally. Eventually revealed to be Gandalf, this twist added intrigue to their plot. Meanwhile, moments of charm and glimpses of potential heroism in the Harfoot community were endearing but felt overshadowed by the far more sweeping and cataclysmic events transpiring across other parts of Middle-earth.
What have the Harfoots (and Stoors) done in The Rings of Power so far?
Amazon Studios
Since the debut of “The Rings of Power,” the Harfoot storyline has been prominently featured. Central to this tale are the curious and daring Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) and her more cautious yet courageous companion Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards). Together, they find themselves in mischief within their peaceful Harfoot enclave, even before their fateful encounter with the enigmatic Stranger who descends from the heavens in a blaze.
Throughout Season 1, viewers followed the Harfoots as they endeavored to welcome the Stranger and embarked on a trek across eastern Middle-earth, fending off a menacing triad of mystics from Rhûn. As the narrative unfurls into Season 2, Nori and the enigmatic Stranger, along with the ever-loyal Poppy, set off on their own thrilling journey eastward. This new path leads them deeper into Tolkien’s world, allowing fans to explore the unexplored lands of Rhûn and beyond.
This is also the point where showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay chose to introduce the enigmatic and overpowered Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) and another mysterious character in the form of an evil, still-unidentified Dark Wizard (played by Ciarán Hinds).
It’s here that the Harfoots also discover another conclave of Halflings — namely, Gollum’s ancestors, the Stoors. Led by a matriarch (a Tolkien-accurate fact), the group learns a lot from the Harfoots, ultimately deciding that their best bet isn’t to continue living underground, but to migrate back west to greener pastures. The last we see of the Harfoots and Stoors is the beginning of that journey, one that will end centuries later as they link up with other Halfling groups and then settle the Shire.
What Tolkien said about the Harfoots and Stoors in the Second Age
Warner Bros
Tolkien doesn’t mention Harfoots, Stoors, or even any Halflings at all in the Second Age. That isn’t to say that they didn’t exist. On the contrary, the little bit of pre-Hobbit history the author does give us confirms that they are related to Men, but we don’t get any details about how the transition from tall men to short Hobbits takes place. And that’s precisely the aura that surrounds these furry-footed Shire dwellers when we meet them in “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” While epic stories with ancient histories unfold around them, Hobbits remain grounded in the present, unworried about the future, and unaware of the past (other than family history).
The Hobbit, Stoor, and Harfoot backstories even hinge on the fact that they don’t really know much about their origin. Tolkien wrote in “The Fellowship of the Ring”: “Of their original home the Hobbits in Bilbo’s time preserved no knowledge.” The group doesn’t enter written Middle-earth history until over a thousand years into the Third Age (i.e., a millennium after “The Rings of Power” story will end).
Again, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist before that point. They are just a blank canvas, one that the “Rings of Power” showrunners used to fill in with their own creative adaptation for two seasons of their five-season story. The Harfoot part of the story helped introduce some important characters, but at most points, it was slow and felt a bit out of place. Now, as we enter Season 3, the story has officially picked up too much steam for them to keep up — and that is probably for the better.
