Mozambique opens first forensic DNA lab
Mozambique has opened its first forensic DNA laboratory in Maputo to boost crime-solving and paternity case investigations, Xinhua reported.
SERNIC Director General Nelson Rego said the facility will help identify individuals, link suspects to crime scenes, and resolve complex cases through analysis of biological materials such as saliva, blood, and hair.
Built with state funding of about 150m meticais (US$2.35m), the lab can process up to 200 samples daily and will support the judiciary and law enforcement in criminal investigations and paternity disputes, according to Xinhua.
US seeks $1bn settlement from UCLA over antisemitism claims
The US government has demanded UCLA pay $1bn to settle antisemitism allegations, offering to restore $584m in frozen federal grants. A draft deal would require payments in installments, a $172m victims’ fund, and new oversight measures, Al Jazeera reported.
UC President James B. Milliken warned the payment would cripple California’s public university system, while Governor Gavin Newsom called the proposal “extortion” and vowed to fight it, accusing President Donald Trump of attacking academic freedom.
The freeze follows a Justice Department finding that UCLA ignored harassment of Jewish and Israeli students during 2024 campus protests. UCLA recently paid $6.45m to settle a related lawsuit, as over 60 US universities face similar federal probes, Al Jazeera reported.
Three injured in New York’s Times Square shooting
Three people were wounded in a shooting at New York’s Times Square early Saturday, police said. All are in stable condition in hospital, according to Xinhua.
A 17-year-old suspect is in custody and a firearm has been recovered. The shooting happened around 1:20 a.m(local time) at 44th Street and Seventh Avenue, a busy tourist area.
Social media footage showed crowds fleeing as police surrounded a vehicle and aided the injured. The incident follows last month’s deadly Manhattan office tower shooting that killed four.
Zelensky demands Ukraine’s inclusion in US-Russia peace talks
Zelensky insists peace talks excluding Ukraine will fail, ahead of US-Russia talks on Friday. Ukraine is unlikely to accept any deal without its involvement, BBC reported.
A senior White House official told CBS News Zelensky might still participate in some way.
The UK will host a meeting Saturday with US, Ukrainian, and European advisers to pursue a just and lasting peace.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine reported drone strikes on residential areas, with Moscow claiming control of a Donetsk settlement. Russia holds about 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory, according to BBC.
