In a landmark ruling, a Syrian court has issued death sentences in absentia to former Syrian President Bashar Assad and his younger brother, holding them accountable for crimes against humanity and war crimes spanning the country’s brutal 14-year conflict. The long-standing turmoil has tragically claimed approximately half a million lives.

This consequential verdict was delivered by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus. Marking a pivotal moment in Syria’s history, these are the initial sentences against Assad or his tight-knit circle since the end of the Assad family’s half-century reign, which concluded 20 months ago.

During a live broadcast on state television, Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan resolutely stated, “Bashar Assad utilized state institutions to perpetrate war crimes and crimes against humanity,” underscoring the gravity of the charges.

The court also handed down a death sentence to Assad’s maternal cousin, Atef Najib. Najib was found guilty for his role in orchestrating the harsh suppression in Daraa, which ignited the uprising that eventually escalated into a devastating civil war.

Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence. A crowd of people gathered outside the courthouse in central Damascus to hear the verdict.

Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after the government’s fall in December 2024 and received political asylum. Syria’s new rulers have asked Russia to hand the Assads over.

Najib, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in April 2011, was later detained and is one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.

Najib is a former Syrian army brigadier general who was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria’s Daraa province under Assad in 2011.

During his tenure, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured. The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive policies of Assad’s security forces.

The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown and spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive.

Maher Assad was a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — which Syrian opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers.

No shoes, no shirts, no teens—no issues in sight.

A beach town on the Jersey Shore has taken a bold step to curb nighttime chaos by barring all unaccompanied minors from evening activities. This decisive measure aims to squelch the rise in hazardous gatherings, brawls, and underage drinking that have plagued the area.

Cape May City Council has made its stance clear through a unanimous vote to enforce strict curfews. The newly passed ordinances prevent anyone under the age of 18 from accessing the beaches past 8 p.m. without an accompanying adult and prohibit them from being in any public spaces in the city after 10:30 p.m.

“The Cape May Police Department would like to remind residents, visitors, and families about several new city ordinances designed to help keep our beaches, promenade, and community safe,” officials announced on Thursday.

These regulations are crafted to ensure a secure and enjoyable environment for both residents and tourists, particularly during the bustling summer months, city officials emphasized.

The new orders set up two curfews for the adultless youngsters to thwart any rowdiness or out-of-control partying in the beach resort town.

Cape May Mayor Zachary Mullock said the ordinances are to stop troublemakers from other parts of the Jersey Shore making their way to the popular vacation hotspot after hours.

“We really wanted to make sure we didn’t become the afterparty to some of the other towns that have already made this move,” Mullock said, according to WPVI.

“After 10:30, we all know it’s not normally the best stuff that happens then, so to me, honest as a parent myself, I think there’s a good thing,” he added.

Late-night beachgoers will also face restrictions as the new rules prohibit backpacks and other bags from the beach and the city’s famed promenade between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The restricted accessories include book bags, cinch bags, duffel bags, luggage, computer bags, camera bags, and similar bags and containers larger than eight inches in height, width, or depth.

Bags carrying medical devices, supplies and other equipment needed for the immediate care of a person were made an exception to the ban.

“We ask parents and guardians to please be familiar with these requirements and plan accordingly,” the police department said. “Thank you for doing your part to keep Cape May safe!”

Several arrests have been made in recent months due to fighting and underage drinking that have occurred in the overnight hours of the city, the outlet reported.

The two-term Democratic mayor, who is running to unseat incumbent Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-2) in the US House of Representatives, praised the ordinances after they took effect Thursday night.

“Frankly, last night, they were out here and the reports I received is that it worked and we just had families out here enjoying a pleasant evening,” Mullock said.

Tourists to the city had no problem with the orders, calling it a proactive measure.

“I think that’s smart. That’s planning ahead,” Staten Islander John Christiansen told WPVI. “It’s really just a few bad kids that cause trouble, so once everyone finds out what they need to do then it’s good. What happened to game night?”

Other portions of the Shore have been inundated by out-of-control youngsters as part of the viral “teen takeover” trends that have led to mass brawls and chaos in the streets.

Just before Memorial Day Weekend, six people were arrested by Long Branch police after a large mass of teens converged on Pier Village for an unauthorized “pop-up” event.

The crowd allegedly began fighting and jumping on cars as they took over the city’s boardwalk and surrounding streets.

Ryan De Nino, known for his role on Married At First Sight, has tragically passed away at 40. A family source informed TMZ that his death occurred ‘suddenly’ in New Jersey.

According to the source, the family has decided to withhold additional details concerning the circumstances of his passing.

Earlier this week, his sister Melissa expressed her sorrowful farewell to her brother through a touching post on Facebook.

Sharing cherished memories with photos of De Nino, she wrote, “Ryan was incredibly funny and fiercely loyal. His heart was always in the right place.”

“The loss of a sibling is indescribable,” she continued. “Having shared a lifetime of memories, his absence is deeply felt. Despite challenges, my love for him never wavered. Life will never be the same without him.”

De Nino appeared on the A&E series Married At First Sight during season two back in 2015, and had been paired with Jessica Castro at the time.  

Daily Mail has reached out to a rep for A&E for comment, but has yet to hear back. 

Castro broke silence on her ex-husband’s passing following the shock news of his death. 

‘I have not had contact with Ryan in years so I have/had no idea what his life entailed,’ she said in a statement to Page Six on Friday. 

‘However, I do send my sincerest condolences to his family during this very difficult time. I can not imagine what they are going through. May he rest peacefully.’ 

De Nino and Castro agreed to say ‘I do’ after first meeting at the alter on Married At First Sight, and stayed together on Decision Day. 

However, the reality stars later divorced when season two ended.

In 2015, Castro filed for a restraining order against De Nino after alleging he threatened both her and her family, per People. 

He soon took to his Instagram account at the time to share that she had filed for an order of protection. 

De Nino claimed that the order of protection had left him both ‘in awe’ as well as ‘disgusted.’ 

During their time on the show, Castro had stated, ‘I come from a family of long successful marriages. The word divorce just doesn’t fall into my lifestyle.’ 

The former couple appeared on a reunion episode that aired in June 2015. 

Castro had alleged at the time that De Nino cheated on her on Valentine’s Day amid their then-rocky relationship. 

‘A week prior to that, we had a blow-up because he told me that he was gonna be busy. So, I didn’t see him,’ she explained. 

‘A few weeks later, I find a Valentine’s Day card from another female at his apartment.’  

However, he denied her cheating accusations and said he cannot ‘control people from sending me cards.’

De Nino had over 40,000 followers on Instagram, with his last post being in June 2022. 

Castro is also active on social media and often posts to her nearly 100,000 Instagram followers. 

She is mom to five-year-old son Sergio Jr.  

JAKARTA, Indonesia — In the early hours of Saturday, a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled the coast of Indonesia, toppling buildings and homes. This formidable seismic event claimed the lives of at least five individuals and incited panic throughout a region all too familiar with catastrophic earthquakes.

Initially, authorities responded by issuing a tsunami warning, urging those living along the coast to evacuate to higher ground. However, this warning was later rescinded after Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency confirmed that no significant changes in sea levels were observed, eliminating immediate threats to coastal communities.

According to the U.S Geological Survey, the earthquake struck the Flores region of Indonesia at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers at 5:58 a.m. local time. The epicenter was pinpointed 68 kilometers (42 miles) north-northwest of Ende, a city in the East Nusa Tenggara province. The initial tremor was succeeded by a series of aftershocks, further unsettling the area.

East Nusa Tenggara’s top police official, Rudi Darmoko, reported preliminary findings showing two fatalities in Sikka Regency and three in Manggarai Regency. Extensive structural damage and power outages have complicated the situation, impeding communication and making rescue operations challenging.

“We are actively working to gather more information on damages and casualties,” Darmoko stated, “but communication disruptions are proving difficult to navigate.”

Footage on local television showed patients at several hospitals being evacuated from buildings as a precaution following the quake. Hospital staff moved equipment outdoors, including beds, IV stands and oxygen cylinders, and set up temporary treatment areas to adapt to emergency conditions.

Quake felt on Flores island and other areas

The quake was felt across much of Flores island with initial reports indicating heavy damage.

Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka regency, said a number of buildings were damaged by the strong shaking and panicked people ran to higher ground.

“Many buildings here were damaged … I saw that the waiting room at the port terminal in Maumere had collapsed,” she said.

Students at St. Peter Major Seminary in Sikka who were attending morning Mass fled in panic when the roof of an assembly hall collapsed, said the Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga, rector of the seminary, which is known locally as Ritapiret Seminary on the predominantly Catholic island of Flores.

“Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof,” Tanga said. “At least one priest suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor of a building during the quake.”

The quake also reportedly caused panic in Bima, a city in neighboring West Nusa Tenggara province. There were also damages reported in some part of southern Sulawesi island.

Indonesian authorities initially issued a tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi provinces, and urged residents to stay away from beaches and riverbanks. The agency located the shallow undersea quake near Flores island.

Indonesia prone to earthquakes

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

A powerful earthquake caused a tsunami in 1992 that killed about 2,500 people on Flores, part of a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia.

In 2018, a magnitude 7.5 quake spawned a large localized tsunami that wiped out coastal areas, while liquefaction caused by the shaking turned entire neighborhoods into rivers of sludge in the eastern Indonesian city of Palu, on the Palu-Koro Fault. The disaster killed more than 4,400 people.

In 2010, a 10-foot (three-meter) wave struck the Mentawai Islands, off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, just minutes after a massive offshore earthquake. More than 400 people were killed and hundreds of homes were destroyed.

In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra in western Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
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Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.